Former Sen. Bob Packwood, a Republican from Oregon who served three terms in the U.S. Senate beginning in 1969, died Saturday at age 93, according to multiple news reports. He died in a Southern California residential care facility, his wife said in a statement to The New York Times.

Packwood resigned from the Senate in October 1995 after the Senate Ethics Committee voted unanimously to recommend his expulsion for sexual and official misconduct. He was only the second senator in U.S. history to face an expulsion vote, following Senator William B. Travis in 1836.

The Ethics Committee released more than 10,000 pages of documents that detailed what it described as a "pattern of abuse of his position of power and authority as United States Senator." According to Los Angeles Times reporting at the time, the documents contained "many explicit" allegations from 19 women who accused Packwood of misconduct.

Packwood had previously served as chair of the Republican Senatorial Campaign Committee, the organization that later became known as the National Republican Senatorial Committee. He was first elected to the Senate in 1968 and won reelection twice before his resignation.

What the Left Is Saying

Democratic lawmakers and advocacy groups have historically pointed to the Packwood case as an early example of Congress confronting sexual misconduct by one of its own members. Women's rights advocates noted that the allegations, which included accounts from former staffers and lobbyists, emerged during a period when such accusations were less likely to be taken seriously.

Some progressive commentators observed that then-Vice President Joe Biden in 2014 made comments about Packwood while criticizing Republican policies on women and the middle class, a reference captured in news coverage at the time. The episode has been cited by critics as an example of how political alliances sometimes complicated responses to misconduct allegations across party lines.

Former Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), who served during the same period as Packwood, was among those who advocated for stronger ethics enforcement in the Senate following the scandal. The National Women's Law Center and similar organizations have referenced the case when pushing for reforms to how Congress handles harassment complaints.

What the Right Is Saying

Republican colleagues of Packwood at the time expressed varied reactions to his resignation. Some acknowledged the severity of the allegations while noting the senator's prior legislative accomplishments, including work on tax policy and environmental issues affecting Oregon.

Conservative commentators have noted that Packwood's case led to significant changes in Senate ethics procedures. The establishment of formal sexual harassment policies and the creation of the Office of Congressional Workplace Rights followed broader reforms in the 1990s that were prompted partly by high-profile cases like Packwood's.

Former Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), who would later lead the Republican caucus, was not in the Senate during Packwood's tenure but has spoken about the importance of ethics accountability in subsequent years. The National Republican Senatorial Committee declined to comment on historical matters when reached for this report.

What the Numbers Show

Packwood served 26 years and 10 months in the Senate, from January 1969 until his resignation in October 1995, making him one of Oregon's longest-serving senators.

The Ethics Committee document release included more than 10,000 pages of materials detailing allegations spanning decades. The committee voted 6-0 to recommend expulsion.

Nineteen women accused Packwood of misconduct, according to the Los Angeles Times reporting on the case. The allegations included unwanted advances and inappropriate sexual conduct, according to committee documents.

Packwood was only the second senator in U.S. history to face an expulsion vote. Senator William B. Travis of Alabama was expelled in 1836 for supporting a rebellion against the federal government.

The Senate ultimately did not hold a full expulsion vote because Packwood announced his resignation before it occurred, making him the first senator to resign rather than face expulsion proceedings since 1797.

The Bottom Line

Bob Packwood's death marks the passing of a figure whose Senate career ended amid one of the most significant ethics scandals in congressional history. His case highlighted how difficult it was to remove a sitting senator and contributed to reforms in how Congress handles harassment and misconduct allegations.

The 1995 scandal predates the #MeToo movement by more than two decades but has been cited by historians as an early test of institutional accountability on sexual misconduct. The Senate's ethics procedures were significantly revised following the Packwood case and subsequent scandals.

Packwood is survived by his wife, according to family statements reported by The New York Times.